All we like SHEEP!

The Sheep Fold (Bible Lesson)

Day 2 The Good Shepherd Protects us!

Supplies needed:

Pictures of or examples of a Rod, a staff, and a sling shot
hand outs for day 2

Advance preparation:

Familiarize yourself with the story, and the theme of today’s VBS.

Introduction:

Welcome the children in and encourage them to join you in discussion.

Today we are going to talk about protection.  These are some tools a shepherd uses to protect his sheep let’s look at them together.  Show the children your example of a rod, a staff and a sling shot.  Ask them what they think each item is used for and how it protects the sheep. What are the differences between them? What would you use to help get a sheep out of a hole? What would you use if you came face to face with a lion?  What would you use if you saw a bear coming from a distance?

 Bible Time:

Today our Bible lesson comes from I Samuel 17 :34-37. This example of how God protects us is right in the middle of one of the most famous stories in the Bible—David and Goliath.  In this passage David is telling Kind Saul how he will defeat the Giant Goliath.  Lets read it.

³⁴ But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, ³⁵ I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. ³⁶ Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. ³⁷ The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

Wow! David had been a good shepherd to his sheep hadn’t he?  He wasn’t scared to take on lions and bears to rescue his sheep, and he knew that God was his Shepherd and that God would protect him too. How do we know that David knew that God was his shepherd? Well, David was the man that wrote Ps. 23. Let’s me read it to you.

¹ The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
²     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
³     he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.
⁴ Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,^[a]
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever

Have you ever wondered about the verse that says your rod and your staff, they comfort me?  Let’s think for a minute. If you were a sheep and there was a Lion coming to eat you, what would bring you comfort? (allow kids to respond)  Do you remember the rod, and the staff? Do you think that if you were a sheep and in trouble that a rod or a staff might comfort you?  If you were a sheep and you were in trouble who would you want to run to?(allow for response)   The Shepherd Right! We are the same way. We are like sheep and when we get into trouble or need protection, the best thing to do is go to God our Good Shepherd. Because the Good Shepherd Protects us!

Bible Memory :

Our memory verse today is:

Psalm 121:7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life

Invite the children to repeat after you!

The LORD 

(point up)

Will keep you 

(put hand out like a stop sign)

From all harm 

(pound fist into hand)

He

 (point up)

Will watch over

 (put hands on forehead as though you are looking for something)

Your life 

(put hand on your heart)

Hand outs:

Have the kids work on their bible memory paper and make sure to point out the ‘extra credit’ verses on their paper, explain whatever prizes, reward system is set up for memorizing the extra verses at home and saying them to their group leader the next day.

Closing:

Pray with the kids and remind them that The Good Shepherd Protects us!